Adjustable reading table



Dec. 12, 1933. J. 5 PONTEN ET AL 1,938,638

ADJUSTABLE READING TABLE Filed March 4, 1930 IN VEN TOR.

, JEAN 6. po/vrm 5 OLAF WPONTEN jw wi Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITEDSTATES 3 1,938,838 ADJUSTABLE READING TABLE Jean 8. Ponten, Piedmont,and Olaf W. Ponten, Berkeley, Calif.

Application March 4, 1930. Serial No. 433,035 3 clai (Cl. 45-80) Thisinvention relates to a table or rack which is primarily designed forsupporting books, magazines and other reading matter in such manner asto facilitate the reading thereof without necessitating that the book orother reading matter be held by the reader, but may also be used toadvantage for general table purposes by persons seated or reclining inbeds, chairs, or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a table of the characterdescribed which may be readily and easily set up on a table, the seat ofa chair, or on a bed, in front and over the legs of the user, and easilyadjusted to support a book or the like in the desired position forreading thereof, or adjusted for general table uses and under allconditions of use thereof does not interfere with free leg or bodymovement of the user or require that the hands of the user be employedto hold the device in the desired position.

Another object is to provide a table of the character described whichmay be folded into small compass for convenience of shipping, packing orcarrying thereof.

A further object is to provide a table of the character described whichwill be comparatively light as to weight, and of simple and inexpensiveconstruction, yet strong and durable.

Still another object is to provide a table of the character describedwhich provides for the advantageous use in connection therewith of anelectric light arranged to be adjustably supported on and detachablyjoined with the table.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the followingdescription of the preferred form' of the invention which is illustratedin the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It isto be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by thesaid drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of theinvention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one manner of use of the table ofour invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the table of our invention.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the table as when the top or rack partthereof is angularly adjusted with relation to the stand portion.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the table as when folded.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line 55 of Figure 2.

The embodiment of the invention as shown in detail in the accompanyingdrawing generally comprises a stand 1, an adjustable table top or rackmember 2, and a means of connection 3 between the stand and rack member2 provid- 6 other support in front of the user. In any case,

when set up for use, a book, magazine or the like may be placed on themember 2 and disposed in position to be read by adjusting said member 2as desired, to suit the reader. When the member 2 is to be used as anordinary table top it is adjusted to lie substantially horizontal andwhile in this position may also be adjusted horizontally and vertically.v

In view of the fact that the table of this invention is designed to fitover or embrace the legs, or in other words the lap of the user, thetable may be disposed in the properly close relation to the user whenseated or reclining in a chair or bed to permit of use of the table forthe reading or other purposes aforementioned. Accordingly the stand 1 iscomposed of like standards 5 and 6 each preferably formed of a singlepiece of strap metal bent to form a straight foot piece 7 arranged torest on the surface on which the device is stood. These foot pieces '7have upwardly converging leg portions 8 which curve inward at theirupper ends and embrace and are pivoted as at 9 to a straight horizontalbar 10 at points near the ends of the bar. The bar 10 and standards 5and 6 thus comprise the stand 1, and to facilitate the attachment of themember 2 thereto the ends of the bar 10 are bent right angularly as at12 and also serve as stops to limit the outward swinging movement of thestandards 5 and 6 to an upright supporting position.

The means of adjustable connection 3 comprise straight links 14 whichare pivoted as at 15 at certain ends thereof to the ends 12 of the bar10 and at their other ends are pivoted as at 16 to certain ends ofsimilar links 1'7. The other end links 1'7 are pivoted as at 18 to thetable top or rack member 2. By means of this double link connection themember 2 may be adjusted in various ways, laterally, vertically andangularly, and the user of the device may therefore readily and easilydispose the member in the position best suited to his requirements. Allthe pivots are provided with spring washers 20 which set up thenecessary friction to cause the member 2 to remain in the position intowhich it is moved. However the conventional wing nut and bolt pivots maybe used if desired and it is thought unnecessary to show in the drawingthe use of this common expedient.

The table top or rack member 2 is preferably of rectangular outline andmay be of the skeleton form here shown or as a flat perforate orimperforate plate. At any rate it is provided with a flange 21 along oneedge to act as a book or magazine supporting shelf when the member 2 isused to support a book or the like. Clamps 22 are pivoted on the flange21 and arranged to engage the leaves of the book or magazine to hold thelatter open and in position to be read.

To provide for the attachment of the reading lamp 4 a bracket 26 isused. This bracket comprises a flat piece 2'7 having right angularlyextended terminals 28 and 29 arranged to engage with bars of the tablemember 2. The end- 28 is offset to form a clamp 30 to engage with one ofthe bars of the member 2 to hold the bracket in place. In the ends 28and 29 are openings 31 through which the standard 32 of the lamp isinserted and is thereby adjustably held in place. The bracket 26 iscapable of lateral adjustment on the member 2 whereas the lamp 4 isvertically adjustable relative to the bracket.

It will now be clear that the skeleton stand 1 arranged to rest on thesurface on which the user or reader is seated or reclined, andconstructed to embrace or bridge over the legs or lap of the user, makespossible the proper and desired disposition of the table top or rackmember 2 to support a book or the like in position to be read or toserve for general table purposes for the person in front of which it ispositioned. If desired the user may on spreading his legs press againstthe standards 5 and 6 and hold the device in the desired positionalthough this is usually not necessary inasmuch as the entire device iseffectively balanced and it is only when a heavy book is supported atcertain positions and angles that such leg gripping operation may beresorted to to hold the device against tipping. The width and height ofthe stand is such that it will permit free movement of the user overwhich it is bridged even when the stand is placed over the trunk orchest of a person reclining or lying in bed.

When not in use the device may be folded into small compass as shown inFigure 4 and may then be readily and easily carried, packed or shipped.

We claim:

1. In an adjustable reading table, a stand arranged to be stood upon thesurface on which the user thereof is seated or reclined, and having aportion disposed to extend across and to be spaced from the body of saiduser, a top member secured to said stand and arranged to support andmaintain a book or the like in position to be read, and links pivotallyjoined to one another and to the said portion and top member, providingfor the vertical adjustment of said top member above and below saidhorizontal portion.

2. In an adjustable reading table, a substantially horizontal bar,standards pivoted to the ends of said bar and arranged to be swung fromfolded position lying alongside of the bar into upright position ofsupport for the bar and vice versa, a top member arranged to support abook or the like and to serve for general table top purposes, a pair oflinks pivoted to opposite sides of the top member, and another pair oflinks pivoted to the first named links and to said bar and meansassociated with the pivots aforesaid to set up friction thereat tomaintain the top member in various positions of adjustment, saidhorizontal bar being bent on its ends to provide stops to the movementof the pivoted standards, said standards being pivoted to the horizontalbar in such manner as to provide stops to the movement of the secondnamed pair of links.

3.1m a reading table positionable over the body of the user and arrangedto be supported from the surface upon which the user is seated orreclined, a bar horizontally disposed over and across the length of theuser's body, a pair of legs resting on said surface astraddle said bodyand provided with convergently curved upper ends pivoted to said bar atpoints spaced from the ends thereof, said legs being arranged to swingabout their upper ends in a plane transverse of the length of said body,the ends of said bar being bent from the plane of the remainder of thebar to engage and stop the outward movement of said legs, and a readingtable mounted on said bar.

JEAN S. PONTEN. OLAF W. PONTEN.

